Adlerian Therapy: Inferiority, Social Interest, and the Self

Introduction to Adlerian Psychology

According to the psychologist Alfred Adler, contrary to the assumption that human beings are limited by their heredity or environment, it is the constrained nature of the individual's perspective that is often the source of most psychological problems. The average individual "sees all problems from a perspective which is his own creation" (Adler, 1935, p. 185). The nature of modern existence forces human beings to confront their limitations with a greater awareness of how others perceive them, which can create an overwhelming sense of inferiority when challenges arise.

In Adler's concept of the self, there are many antecedents of modern psychological concerns, such as personality types and self-esteem. Adler was one of the first theorists to conceptualize what today would be called an inferiority complex — the condition of someone who perceives him or herself as inferior even when his or her accomplishments are not objectively limited compared with those of others. Perceptions, rather than reality, determine the emotional state.

The Three Life Tasks and Personality Types

Adler believed that there are three fundamental struggles all people must grapple with: how to behave towards others, how to find meaningful work, and how to find love (Adler, 1935). Everyone wants to succeed in these three areas, and all three quests are interrelated. Many people try to compensate for failures in one area with success in another. However, the degree to which an individual sees him or herself as competent and successful in these three arenas will vary greatly, based on individual, subjective perceptions rather than objective criteria.

Adler also classified different personalities into types: the dominant type, which gets through life by bullying others; the type who attempts to lean upon others for support and constant reassurance; and the type who is avoidant of others (Adler, 1935). An individual's type or orientation is something established in infancy. Until the child is convinced otherwise — such as through the process of therapy — this interpersonal style will likely remain with the child throughout life and into adulthood.

Social Engagement and the Healthy Personality

These three common types are ill-equipped to engage in social life. They lack the ability, in different ways, to contribute to the world and to collaborate with others meaningfully. Their failures to do so inevitably lead to neurosis and psychosis. The fourth, healthy type can enjoy activities that help others as well as the self. Through outwardly directed actions — genuinely arising from an interest in others and not designed to dominate or seek self-validation — the individual establishes a healthy and independent sense of identity. A society made up of such individuals is happier and more productive.

There is also a strong moral imperative in Adler's psychological formulation. Adler believed people were happiest as social animals, engaging with others in positive ways. Withdrawing from social life is not an answer, and society cannot function if people isolate themselves, obsessed with their own private interests. But too strong a focus on individual achievement also leads to unhappiness, as the individual's idealized self will always fall short of reality. Equally, looking to others merely as a means to an end — demanding that others validate the self through domination or constant emotional support — is not a healthy path either.

References

Adler, A. (1935). The fundamental views of individual psychology. The International Journal of Individual Psychology, 1(1), 185–187.

Mosak, H. H., & Maniacci, M. P. (1999). A primer of Adlerian psychology. New York, NY: Brunner-Routledge.